Mohammad R. Tirmazi, Bribery and Tax Evasion, California 2024

Los Angeles County public official Mohammad R. Tirmazi, 50, of Alta Loma, and electrical contractor Enrique Contreras, 38, of Palmdale, have agreed to plead guilty to federal bribery and tax charges after a years-long scheme that funneled nearly $300,000 in illicit payments through shell companies and falsified tax records.

Tirmazi, a former employee in the county’s Internal Services Department, accepted approximately $137,400 in bribes from Contreras, owner of Tel-Pro Voice & Data, Inc., a low-voltage electrical wiring company contracted by the county. In exchange, Tirmazi approved fraudulent change orders for work never performed and materials never used, all while ignoring serious safety violations involving asbestos and faulty cabling.

Court documents reveal Tirmazi formed a shell company, TEQ Solutions, LLC, to launder the bribe money. Contreras issued checks to TEQ Solutions disguised as payment for legitimate services, though the company performed no actual work. To conceal ownership, Tirmazi used a third party to file paperwork and open a bank account, then issued fake IRS Form 1099s to reduce the company’s taxable income.

Tirmazi admitted in his plea agreement that he failed to report $355,107 in income from bribes and a side business selling IT equipment on his tax returns from 2014 to 2016. Meanwhile, Contreras admitted to omitting $636,454 in income from 2013 to 2017, much of it tied to improper deductions of bribe payments and personal expenses.

“Corrupt public officials and powerful people who pay bribes pose a threat to our institutions and, as we see in this case, also can threaten public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna. FBI Assistant Director Paul Delacourt added, “Public officials who accept bribes abdicate their responsibilities at the expense of the public they’re paid to serve.”

Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner of IRS Criminal Investigation likened the investigation to “peeling back the layers of a rotten onion,” exposing a network of fraud and deception. Both men now face federal sentencing after admitting guilt in plea agreements filed this morning in Los Angeles.”

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